American women uses World Cup popularity to advance gender issues in soccer and beyond

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United States defender Tierna Davidson (12), right, leaps around South Africa’s Lebohang Ramalepe (2), left, during the second half of their friendly game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calf., on Sunday, May 12, 2019. (Randy Vazquez/Bay Area News Group)

United States defender Kelley O’Hara (5), center, falls down after receiving contact from South Africa’s Nothando Vilakazi (3), left, during the first half of their friendly game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calf., on Sunday, May 12, 2019. (Randy Vazquez/Bay Area News Group)

United States forward Tobin Heath (17), right, gets around South Africa’s Nothando Vilakazi (3), left, during the first half of their friendly game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calf., on Sunday, May 12, 2019. (Randy Vazquez/Bay Area News Group)

United States forward Alex Morgan (13), right, tries to control the ball while being defended by South Africa’s Noko Matlou (4), left, defender during the first half of their friendly game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calf., on Sunday, May 12, 2019. (Randy Vazquez/Bay Area News Group)

United States forward Carli Lloyd (10), right, scores a goal while being defended by South Africa’s Bambanani Mbane (13), center, during the second half of their friendly game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calf., on Sunday, May 12, 2019. (Randy Vazquez/Bay Area News Group)

United States defender Abby Dahlkemper (7) makes a long pass during the first half of her teams friendly game versus South Africa at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calf., on Sunday, May 12, 2019. (Randy Vazquez/Bay Area News Group)

United States midfielder Samantha Mewis (3), center, is hugged by teammate Megan Rapinoe (15), right, after scoring during the second half of their friendly game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calf., on Sunday, May 12, 2019. (Randy Vazquez/Bay Area News Group)

Fans wave a United States flag before the teams friendly game versus South Africa at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calf., on Sunday, May 12, 2019. (Randy Vazquez/Bay Area News Group)

United states forward Megan Rapinoe (15) runs after a ball during the second half of her teams friendly game versus South Africa at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calf., on Sunday, May 12, 2019. (Randy Vazquez/Bay Area News Group)

A young fan smiles after getting an autograph from United States forward Alex Morgan (13) after the teams game versus South Africa at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calf., on Sunday, May 12, 2019. The United States would win the game 3-0 over South Africa. (Randy Vazquez/Bay Area News Group)

SANTA CLARA — Tierna Davidson left Stanford late last year with the intentions of playing in the Women’s World Cup this summer.

After missing her junior season because of a broken left ankle in September, the Menlo Park woman knew her decision was risky.

But Davidson, 20, is ready for what lies ahead as the youngest member of the top-ranked Americans as she proved Sunday in the United States’ 3-0 victory over South Africa in a World Cup tune-up exhibition game in front of 22,788 fans at Levi’s Stadium.

Davidson, a Sacred Hearts Prep High School graduate, also understands the enormity of the situation for all of her teammates whose megaphone will grow with the scrutiny as the Americans try to defend their World Cup title in France starting June 11.

Elite women athletes like those on the U.S. team not only are expected to perform at the highest level but also often must represent something greater than themselves to help advance social causes.

“It is a different look for a woman in sports versus men in sports,” Davidson said. “Often women in sports are seen pushing more agendas. But we tend to empathize with a large group of marginalized people because we understand how it feels to be in a situation where we’re not treated equally.”

The Americans prepare for the World Cup against the backdrop of a gender discrimination lawsuit filed in March against the U.S. Soccer Federation. All the players on the U.S. women’s national team filed the suit in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, alleging discrimination in pay, leveling complaints about conditions on the field and accusing the federation of discriminatory treatment of the players overall.

U.S. Soccer officials said any conduct alleged in the suit “was for legitimate business reasons and not for any discriminatory or other unlawful purpose.” They added that pay practices are not based on gender but occur because of “differences in the aggregate revenue generated by the different teams.”(Randy Vazquez/Bay Area News Group)

While the suit has received national attention, the female soccer players also are asked about all kinds of social issues in the #MeToo era. Sometimes, it seems every one of them is like a Colin Kaepernick, the former 49ers quarterback who gained national attention for protesting social justice issues when kneeling during the playing of the national anthem.

“We feel almost the responsibility to speak up for other people whose voice may not be heard,” Davidson said. “While the expectation might be different for a women’s athlete versus a men’s athlete I am very happen to carry that expectation because I believe it is so important for people in a role that is public and has a lot of eyes on it to use it for something more than just the pure enjoyment of the sport.”

Few athletes in the world have been as outspoken as Megan Rapinoe, whose second-half performance Sunday helped propel the United States to victory in the first of three World Cup tune-up games.

Rapinoe, who last week became the first openly gay woman to appear in Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit edition, has rarely backed away from taking a stand on issues related to women, LGBTQ and supported Kaepernick by also kneeling during the national anthem of a U.S. soccer game.

“Frankly, it is too much,” she said in an interview. “I don’t think we should have to be doing all this. “We have to do everything on the field and perform in our jobs and then we have to go off the field and fight for everything to justify what we’re doing on the field.”

But nothing changes if Rapinoe and fellow female stars don’t use the platform of the World Cup to take a stand.

“We don’t want to be doing all this but in the same breath, we also understand that if we don’t do it, it doesn’t get done,” the forward said. “It is the arch of history as it goes. The marginalized groups are the ones who have to push things forward.”

The women soccer players find themselves in this position as America’s favorite team whenever the quadrennial World Cup comes around. As the only country with three World Cup titles, the United States has been at the forefront of introducing women to the planet’s most popular game — a byproduct of Title IX, the federal law that protects people from discrimination based on sex.(Randy Vazquez/Bay Area News Group)

U.S. coach Jill Ellis expects her players to express themselves however they see fit. Her mission is to win the World Cup and to shield players from outside distractions.

“But you also have a life outside of here,” she said this weekend.

Ellis isn’t worried about how her players balance the dual roles being foisted on them. The coach said everyone within the World Cup team is moving in the same direction toward a championship game July 7.

She doesn’t want to isolate the team from real-world issues “because I don’t think that is healthy,” Ellis said. “You have to be able to have the ability to express yourself and be yourself. Otherwise, we’d be a very stagnant team.”

Central defender Abby Dahlkemper embraces the opportunity to be more than a soccer player. The Menlo Park player wants to become the role model she had followed as a kid learning the game.

“I’m trying to use this platform I’ve created through soccer,” she said. “I’m independent, I’m a strong-willed woman. All my teammates are exactly that as well.”

Elliott Almond is a reporter for the Bay Area News Group who has covered 11 Olympics, follows soccer and writes about social issues in sports such as concussions. Almond previously worked at the Los Angeles Times and Seattle Times as an investigative sports reporter and has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize three times. An author of a book on surfing, Almond spent a good portion of his youth travelling the California and Baja California coastlines searching for the perfect wave. He now can be found among towering coast redwoods in remote NorCal forests.

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